1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly for being mounted on two printed circuit boards.
2. Description of Related Art
Board to board electrical connector assembly, consisting of two electrical connectors mounted on nearly parallel printed circuit boards to be connected together, is known in the art. Generally, connector assembly is used for signal transmission between two printed circuit boards.
A connector assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,630 comprises matable first and second connectors. The first connector comprises a first insulative housing and a plurality of first terminals received in the first housing. The first housing includes a mating portion and a central island extending upwardly from a base portion of the first housing. The first terminals are retained in the central island, and the contact portions of the first terminals are exposed in a receiving space formed in the first housing. The second connector includes a second housing and a plurality of second terminals received in the second housing. The second housing comprises a coupling portion, and the second terminals are secured in the coupling portion. When the first connector mates with the second connector, the central island of the first connector is received in the coupling portion of the second housing. Meanwhile, the first terminals connect with the second terminals. The contact portions of the first terminals expose in the receiving space and are easy to be destroyed when the first connector mates with the second connector or they are pressed by unexpected external force. When the resiliency of the first terminals reduces, the first terminals withdraw into the mating portion, thereby resulting in ill electrical connection between the two connectors. Furthermore, insulative housings of electrical connectors are easy to be deformed. After connecting or disconnecting with each other several times, electrical terminals received in the housing correspondingly offset from its correct positions such the normal force between certain first terminals of the first connector and the second terminals of the second connector may become insufficient when the first connector and the second connector are mated. As a result, a reliable electrical connection between the first connector and the second connector cannot be assured.
Hence, an improved connection-reliability connector assembly is highly desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.